José Antônio da Silva Ballestero
The Projectionist
Abelardo is a documentary about José Antônio da Silva Ballestero who has been a projectionist for 53 years at cinemas on the west border of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. José Antônio learned how to do the work with his father, who also was a projectionist and encouraged him to work in the projection room since he was a boy. The film tells the journey of a humble man showing his simple passionate view of the cinema. The memories, the films and opinions are revealed through a very spontaneous and amusing language. The projection problems, when the TV started, the VHS, DVD, pirate, internet, and the new technology that is coming to replace the old way of projection. Abelardo captivates people with his sincerity and friendliness. This is a nice story of the difficult job of a projectionist.
